Until a few years ago, U.S. cars exported to Japan had the driver controls on th

Question

Until a few years ago, U.S. cars exported to Japan had the driver controls on the left side (as in the United States). The Japanese (like the British), however, drive on the left side of the road, so Japanese cars sold in Japan have the driver controls on the right side. Sup-pose the Japanese tried to sell their cars in the United States with the driver controls on the right side. What impact would this likely have on their sales in this country? Do you think the unwillingness of U.S. carmakers to put the driver controls on the “correct” side for exports to Japan had any effect on their sales of cars in that country?

Explanation / Answer

The traffic is two types that is Left-hand traffic and Right-hand traffic. Most of the left-hand traffic the vehicle control or steering wheel is in the right side and most of the right-hand drive the vehicle control or steering wheel is in the left side. If the Japn is using the Left-hand traffic, so the control is in the right side. If they export this same driver control to the right to U.S the demand for that vehicle is less because people are not ready to change their driving style. And also the driving experience is different so some people can accept the Japanese style but most of the people are unwilling to accept the new change. There is also another technical problem the driving comfortable for a Right-hand traffic the control should be in the left inorder to avoid accident. In the Right-hand traffic the overtaing is from the left side, if the steering wheel is on the right side the vision from the front and back is not clear, so the decisions can cause an untiming or wrong this can leads to an accident. For safe and perfect drive to a Right-hand traffic the steering control should be on the left side it is the correct position and the people are following this. So changes in the driving position will feel uncomfortability for most of the users. For these reasons the demand for Japanese car with the same position of the control will adversely effect the sales of Japanese cars in U.S. But some people like this and they will ready to accept the change of the driving position and will demand the Japanese cars. because the gight hand control is more comfortable than left hand control.

The same thing will happened in the case of the carmakers are puting the steering wheel on the left side and export to Japan a Left-hand traffic, some people can accept the change because they like U.S cars; but most of the people are unwilling to accept the change. Because the people are not ready to change their style of driving. Most of the Japanese people are right handed so the control in the right is comfortable than left. So the people like to drive from the right in a Left-hand traffic. So the U.S style cars cannot improve their demand in Japan so if the U.S carmakers are not ready to change their driving position, they cannot capture the demand for U.S cars.

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